‘StarBUCKS’ Status. What is the cost of cool? And are you willing to pay the price?
I got the inspiration for this blog in the Minneapolis airport this
weekend. As I went from gate F14 to A6 I saw ‘StarBUCKS.’ I stopped to
get my usual White Chocolate Mocha Grande
with caramel drizzled on top. I wasn’t craving caffeine or necessarily
had a taste for coffee, but I saw the sign and immediately got in line.

Love or hate ‘StarBUCKS’ they have a cult-like following. Think
about it. Why do over 30 million customers purchase caffeinated drinks
from ‘StarBUCKS’ each week? They have never aired a TV commercial Super-Bowl-Ad-Rejects
for the store, but the brand is still strong. Every successful brand
demands a certain value and customers that willingly pay the price
without even thinking about it. I was not paying for the coffee; I was
paying for the cup. Does a cup of coffee change your status? Does it
change your life? Does it change your social class? Will you be more
accepted by people in a different tax bracket?